Outdoor Cook Stove with Multiple Ignitions

ABSTRACT

An outdoor stove is provided which includes a burner to project gaseous fuel, an ignition structure capable of generating multiple sparks to ignite such fuel for cooking purpose, and a support means to hold the burner, the ignition structure and a cooking vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an outdoor cook stove utilizing gaseous fuel, in particular a stove with an igniter capable of providing multiple sparks to increase the chance of igniting the gaseous fuel to the stove burner.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

There are various kinds of outdoor cook stoves such as BBQ grill, deep fryer and stir fryer. Some of these stoves rely on a manual igniter where an operator uses to ignite the gaseous fuel released from the stove burner. A single spark igniter is incorporated in other stoves such a manual igniter is no longer needed. The single spark igniter is usually built of piezoelectric material which does not require any energy storage device such as battery. A stove equipped with a piezoelectric igniter is typically called an electronic ignition capable stove.

A stove with electronic ignition capable of single spark generation is viewed as more advanced than a stove requiring manual ignition. However when such stove is used outdoor, it has a couple of drawbacks: 1) Outdoor environment might be windy, single spark proves to be difficult in successfully igniting the stove; 2) The stove might use a high pressure gas type where speed of the gas coming out of the burner orifice is so high that it is also difficult to ignite by a single spark.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,825 teaches a construction of a piezoelectric generator capable of a series of sparks for gaseous cooking devices. However it does not show how it can be integrated into an outdoor stove.

Thus there is a need for an outdoor stove with electronic igniter capable of multiple spark generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to incorporate a multiple ignition capable igniter into an outdoor stove utilizing gaseous fuel such that it can succeed to ignite more easily in an outdoor environment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particular shown are by way of example and for purpose of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only. They are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention. The description together with the drawings should make it apparent for those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective (isometric) view of the preferred embodiment of an outdoor stove incorporating a multiple sparks capable igniter.

FIG. 2 is an expanded isometric view of the igniter section of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the igniter section of FIG. 2, crossed along arrow A and looking from the top.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the igniter section of FIG. 2, crossed along arrow B and looking from the front.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an outdoor stove 10 constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Stove 10 consists mainly of a cooking vessel support 100, a burner 200 and an igniter 300. Support 100 has multiple legs 120 to support the entire structure on a cooking surface which can be a cook top, a table or even the ground. Support 100 also has multiple stand-offs 110 on its top adapted to hold a round bottom cooking vessel. A flat bottom pan can also sit well on top of the stand-offs. Support 100 also has a plate 130 which is used to mount the burner 200.

Burner 200 of stove 10 has two burner rings 240 and 250. Bottom of 240 has mounting holes to be mounted on plate 130 with bolts. Rings 240 and 250 consist of multiple holes 260 from where mixture of gaseous fuel and air is ejected out to be ignited. Flames from holes 260 heat a cooking vessel on top for food preparation. The mixture of gaseous fuel and air coming to burner holes 260 is delivered through a pipe structure 230. Within pipe structure 230 there are two pipes 210 and 220 separately supplying to rings 240 and 250.

The mixture of gaseous fuel and air in pipes 210 and 220 are ejected from orifice structures 390 and 410. Orifice structures 390 and 410 are part of igniter structure 300. As illustrated by FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, orifice structure 390 further consists of an orifice 610, air inlets 510 and air shutter 400. Orifice structure 410 further consists of an orifice 600, air inlets 440 and air shutter 420. Pressured gas fuel arrives at orifices 600 and 610 from pipes 630 and 640. Pipes 630 and 640 are also part of the igniter structure 300. Because of limited diameters of orifice 600 and 610, the pressured gas fuel expands out into the orifice structures 410 and 390 by carrying air from inlets 440 and 510. If the air shutter 420 and 400 are not entirely covering pipes 210 and 220, the high speed mixture of gas fuel and air from orifice structures 410 and 390 further sucks more air from the openings between air shutter 420 and pipe 220 as well as air shutter 400 and pipe 210.

The pressured gas fuel to orifices 600 and 610 is delivered from pipe 340, through pipe 620, controlled by valve 650, through pipes 640, 700 and 630. Initial position of valve 650 does not permit pressured gas fuel to go through from pipe 620 to either 700 or 640. Pipe 700 is further connected to pipe 630 where orifice 600 is mounted. Valve 650 is engaged with shaft 370 and can be turned counter-clockwise by shaft 370. A knob 310 can be mounted on shaft 370 to further facilitate the turning operation. During the process of turning shaft 370 counter-clockwise, the hole 660 on valve 650 turns toward pipe 620. This starts to permit gas fuel from pipe 620 to pass through to pipes 700 and 640. Through pipes 700, 630 and 640, the gas fuel reaches orifices 600 and 610, expands to mix with air into pipes 210, 220 to reach burner rings 240, 250 and is ready to be ignited.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 for the operation of the igniter 300. When shaft 370 is pushed in, it engages the entire ignition control structure 650 by utilizing locking mechanism of 370A and 650A. When shaft 370 is turned counter-clockwise, ignition structure 650 is also turned counter-clockwise. In this case, hole 660 is directed toward pipes 620 and 340 to accept incoming gas fuel. Shaft 370 also push open pin 710. Opening pin 710 allows the gas fuel to come through hole 670 which also turns to align with ignition pipe 430 (FIG. 8). The gas fuel is then carried through pipe 430 to the ignition orifice 320 from where the gas fuel is ejected and ready to be ignited by a spark generated by a piezoelectric element 830. After ignition is completed, shaft 370 is released. Pin 710 returns to its original position of shutting off the gas fuel path to hole 670 by using pressure from spring 690. Releasing shaft 370 also releases the engagement between 370A and 650A (thus shaft 370 and ignition control 650) by pressure of spring 460.

In FIG. 4, pressing and turning shaft 370 engages ignition control 650. 650 further turns metal piece 800. Metal piece 800 consists of 3 protruded fingers 800A, 800B and 800C. These fingers are spaced out evenly in 30 degree angle. When 800 is carried by 650 for a counter-clockwise turn, finger 800C first touches finger 810A of piezoelectric hammer 810 and carries the hammer 810 toward the right against the spring 820. In less than 30 degrees 800C releases finger 810A. Hammer 810 is allowed to go to its left to strike the piezoelectric element 830 by use of compressed pressure from spring 820. The strike on piezoelectric element 830 by hammer 810 generates a high voltage which is carried by wire 360. wire 360 is routed to proximity of orifice 320 to start the ignition flamer. When ignition control 650 is further turned counter-clockwise by shaft 370, finger 800B starts to touch finger 810A of hammer 810. Finger 800B repeats the process made by 800C to make another spark to be carried by wire 360 to orifice 320. When shaft 370 is further turned counter-clockwise, 800A is used to generate the 3^(rd) spark. Thus the entire ignition structure 300 is capable of igniting sparks multiple times for stove 10.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention will be indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. And all changes, which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are therefore intended to be embraced therein. 

1. An outdoor stove for cooking foods comprising: a burner accepting pressured gaseous fuel to produce heating flames, directing the flames to the bottom of a cooking vessel, an ignition structure capable of producing more than one ignition spark to ignite the gaseous fuel in the burner, a means to support the said burner, ignition structure and cooking vessel, whereby said multiple ignition sparks from said ignition structure are to help igniting the gaseous fuel more reliably than a single ignition spark stove in an outdoor environment.
 2. The stove of claim 1, wherein the said ignition structure comprises of a piezoelectric element.
 3. The stove of claim 1, wherein the said ignition structure comprises of an electronic circuit powered by either DC or AC power source.
 4. The stove of claim 1, wherein the gaseous fuel can be either of propane, natural gas or butane.
 5. The stove of claim 1, wherein said cooking vessel can be a wok, or any round bottom and flat in shape.
 6. The stove of claim 1, wherein a single control knob regulates the gas fuel to both the said ignition structure and said burner.
 7. The stove of claim 1, wherein a separate control knob is used to control the gaseous fuel path to the said ignition structure than that of said burner.
 8. The stove of claim 1, wherein the ignition structure has its separate gaseous fuel path than that of the said burner.
 9. The stove of claim 1, wherein the ignition structure uses the same gaseous fuel path as that of the said burner. 